Never Again
by Lady Raina Midnight
Summary: Why we never see Severus Snape's animagus form


**Never Again**

**_By Lady Raina and Ptath _**

**_Disclaimer_**_: Ah Nope, no, definitely not. I wish though._

**_Note: _**_This is a one-shot that has nothing to do with Twice in a Lifetime._

* * *

Sirius snickered when he heard Filch's cursing farther down the hall. "Well, Jammie," he said merrily, "sounds like ol' Filch found our present!"

"Yes, I dare say he has," James replied airily. "We now have free run of the school. Filch will be too busy with our, ah, present, to go searching for students out of bed."

Remus shook his head wearily, a reluctant smile creeping across his face. "Will we be going by the library?" he asked. "You did say that we could go look for that book on boggarts in the Restricted Section."

Sirius gave Remus an aghast look, clutching his hand to his chest as though wounded. "My dear Moony, are saying that we should waste this splendid opportunity sitting around in the dusty old library looking at even dustier books?"

"Really, Moony," James said in a scolding voice. "All you have to do is go ask a teacher to write you a pass. You know they will seeing as you're their _model student_." James gave Remus a wide grin and clapped him on the back. "No, my dear werewolf, we will spend this night causing mischief where we can in true Marauder style! An adventure is _sure _to appear before us!"

Remus groaned. That didn't sound good.

Sirius suddenly froze, his head tilting slightly as though listening. Remus and James stopped walking and looked back at the other Marauder. Suddenly, Sirius's body blurred and Padfoot appeared, nose to the ground searching for the scent he _knew_ was there somewhere!

"Smell something, Padfoot?" James asked softly as he began searching the shadows. Padfoot ignored James as he began to walk in a slow circle, his nails clicking softly on the stone floor. James glanced at Remus and raised an eyebrow. The werewolf shook his head. It wasn't close enough to the full moon for him to smell what had alerted Sirius. Letting out a load bark, Padfoot dove forward suddenly, his jaws snapping at something small and white.

"What the…" James murmured softly as the white blur rounded a corner. Padfoot shot after it ears and tail high in the air.

Remus's eyes were wide. "Was that a…rabbit?"

"Whatever it is, I think Padfoot thinks he's found dessert!" James shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted after the dog animagus. "With our luck, it's someone's pet he's about to eat!"

Remus swore softly and took off after James. What a night for Peter to be sick! If the fourth Marauder had been with them, they'd have been able to corner Sirius _and_ find that rabbit. Now they'd have to settle with grabbing Sirius and letting the rabbit go, in which case it would probably be eaten by one of Hagrid's pets or turned into a footstool or became part of a potion.

The rabbit was hopping at top speed down the corridor, terrified of the large black_ thing_ behind him. It dove into a nearby classroom and hid under a large wardrobe.

The Grim-looking dog skittered into the classroom looking around for the rabbit that he'd been hunting. Putting his nose to the ground once more, he followed the rabbit's scent until he got to the wardrobe. He whimpered softly when he realized that he couldn't reach it in dog form.

"Sirius!"

Padfoot glance over his shoulder at James and Remus as they stumbled into the classroom. He snorted softly and peered under the wardrobe once more at the trembling rabbit.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Sirius, leave it alone!" Remus groaned. Sirius pouted slightly after transforming back into his human shape.

"I just wanted to play with it," he whined.

"Sirius, leave it BE!"

"Really, Sirius," James said as he peered under the wardrobe. "Look at it, it's terrified. You'll be lucky if it doesn't have a heart attack!"

Sirius aimed a defiant look at his best friend's backside, the part of James that he could see. Suddenly, James rocked back on his heels and gave the other two Marauders and hopeful glance.

"Do you think Evans would like it?" he asked hopefully. "You know, as a pet! After all, Valentine's Day is coming up."

"James," Remus began with a sigh, "she'll tell you to take it back to the person you stole it from."

"But we haven't stolen it!" James protested. "We found it!"

"Yes, and you're the one who said that it probably belongs to somebody."

James grumbled softly as he seated himself cross-legged on the cold floor. "Well, what are we supposed to do with it? It's not coming out anytime soon and I'm hungry."

"You sound like Peter," Sirius commented as he settled down next to James.

Remus tilted his head back for a moment, thinking hard. He shook his head. No help for it. "We'll have to just leave it here." He gave Sirius a sideways glance, a look of reproof on his face. "It'll never trust us after being chase like that. If it's still here in the morning, we'll tell a teacher."

"Tell a teacher?" Sirius asked in a horrified voice. "Isn't that against the Marauder Code?"

"Sirius, we don't _have_ a Marauder Code."

"Well, we should! All the cool groups have Codes!"

"Sirius, if one of these 'cool groups' jumped off a bridge, would you?"

Sirius considered this for a moment.

"Yes."

Remus groaned. James laughed.

"Come on, mates," James said as he stood up and dusted off his pants. "Let's head down to the kitchens. I was serious about being hungry. Plus we promised Peter that we'd bring him some butterbeer." The other Marauders rose from the floor and walked out of the classroom after James.

The rabbit remained under the wardrobe for another half hour, until it was sure that the Marauders weren't coming back. It hopped forward and stuck its nose out to smell the air. Satisfied that no one was near, it finally hopped out from its hiding place. Its body blurred suddenly and became a young man in student robes. He shifted from one foot to the other, listening hard for the sound of _anyone_ walking around outside the room. After another few minutes, the student darted out of the classroom and made his way back to his House.

As he collapsed into bed, Severus Snape closed his eyes and shuddered slightly. Never again, he though.

* * *

_We hope you enjoyed that! This one-shot came to Lady Raina in while showering (where else) and has been rather stubborn in its demands to be written. The plot bunny (bunny…lololol!) was simply:_

_Severus Snape becomes an animagus while at Hogwarts._

_He is a fluffy white bunny rabbit._

_The Marauders come across Snape-bunny and want to make him a pet._

_The story ends with Severus saying "never again."_


End file.
